Rami Maki uses and supports the latest versions of industry-standard graphic design and productivity software applications. For a full list of our supported applications please click here.

Yes, there are no geographic obstacles to working together, thanks to the Internet and telecommunications. Your requirements can be submitted by email, phone or fax. Once we have agreed on your needs, the provided information is used to create your designs. Intermediate design concepts and revisions are either posted to our Web site or emailed to you for your review, comments and approval. Once your design is completed, final files are either posted for your download, uploaded to you or your printer or sent to you via CD.

Yes, we do provide printing services. In fact we arrange very high quality and low prices printing services. We provide for you business cards, flyers, brochures, head letters, envelopes, stamps, calendars, and canvas printing. Feel free to contact us for any printing job you need, we will help you through it all.

Many of our clients are small companies, non-profit organizations and individuals. By “farming out” their design projects, they save themselves time and frustration, and save the expense of keeping someone on staff to do design tasks. We are flexible and can work within any budget constraints you may be facing. Put us to the test and you’ll be surprised how far your design budget can stretch at Rami Maki.

Yes! We are happy to work on small projects; anything from minor edits to a Web site to altering a graphic or logo. Smaller projects are often hourly rated. Contact us to discuss your small project.

With the advent of easy-to-use, do-it-yourself graphics software, it is relatively simple for anyone to create a functional logo or adequate Web site. We all know someone who designs Web sites or creates graphics as a side-line. This also explains why there are so many badly designed graphics out there; if someone has a paintbrush, it doesn’t make them Rembrandt.

It’s not just about the price, it’s also about originality in design and concept, variety of options, mastery of the software and successful and on time delivery to the specifications of your printer or Web host. Many who opt for the lowest price often discover they get what they pay for. So, hire a professional designer, be it Rami Maki or someone else- it will save you time and money in the long run. If we can’t be of service, we’d be glad to consult on other designer’s quotations to ensure you are getting the best value for your money. Contact us to see how we can help.

We have a number of clients who have retained our services on a longer term basis or for ongoing work. By paying a flat monthly retainer fee (with a 3 month minimum contract term) we can act as your full time, in-house design department, handling as many projects as your schedule and ours can squeeze into the retainer period. For clients who have larger, more involved projects or require multiple pieces created this can often be a more economical method compared to getting each item separately quoted and created.

We do not believe in disappointing anybody with any form of hidden cost. It is our policy to be transparent with our clients with all costs itemized prior to the start of any project. You are notified of any changes and adjustments. Work only progresses once you have agreed to any changes.

Depending on the project type, some items that are typically quoted separately include:
– purchase of stock photography or illustration
– printing services
– Web domain registration
– Web hosting fees

We accept and prefer secure online payments using your credit card, debit card, or your bank account via PayPal.com. Opening an account is fast, easy, and FREE.
We also accept business checks, personal checks, and money orders.
In certain special circumstances, you also may be able to make a barter arrangement, either for goods or services or link exchange arrangement depending on the nature of your business, i.e. non-profit association.

Yes, using PayPal.com, you can make payments using your Visa, or Mastercard.

Yes we do require a deposit for the work, this amount of money is usually half or more than the total price depending on the job. Other billing arrangements are possible upon agreement by both parties.

The terms and conditions of use constitute a legal agreement between you and Rami Maki and govern your usage of our web site. Please read these terms and conditions of use in their entirety before you continue to use this site or its content.
If you do not agree with these terms and conditions of use, please discontinue using this site.
To view our terms and conditions of use please click here.

We appreciate your desire to protect your intellectual property and are glad to sign any non-disclosure agreements. If you do not already have an agreement, we can make a two way non-disclosure agreement available.

If your goal is to simply create and print your own material from your desktop printer for personal use such as greeting cards, flyers, or craft projects using desktop publishing software then chances are you will not need a graphic designer.
What a graphic designer will bring to your process is an in-depth knowledge of graphic design and the elements and principles of graphic design, as well as the software skills required to use desktop publishing and image programs. A graphic designer will also be conversant in the process of preparing files for use by others – be they printers or online Web hosting providers, ensuring the trouble-free output of your finished communication piece.

A designer is a communicator of your idea, your product and your solution to the world. With training or experience as a visual communicator and problem solver, a designer will combine your content with elements colour, typography, line, space, shape and balance to create a finished communications piece for your business or organization. He/she will work with you to explore different options or design directions to solve your particular communications challenge. A designer will also prepare the ‘mechanical requirements’ of your finished piece and prepare it to the specifications of a printer, magazine, Web host, television studio or any other output medium, to ensure trouble-free output of a final finished product (such as a printed flyer or a Web site).

At Rami Maki we realize you have many options when choosing a graphic design provider.

Why should you choose us over the competition?

Experience: With over fifteen years of design experience, we bring a broad base of experience and knowledge to your design project. We are passionate about the design business and about helping organizations and businesses succeed and gain a competitive advantage.

Flexibility: Examine our portfolio and you will see the breadth of work we have completed over the years. Chances are we have experience creating almost any type of project or design you require. If we don’t have experience with a particular design area, we work with a network of design associates who can lend their expertise to your project, ensuring trouble-free production of any item you can imagine.

Creativity: Creativity is a very subjective topic. Examine our portfolio and you will see how we solved our past client’s design problems. We hope this is an indicator of our creative abilities.
Feel free to contact us to discuss potential design solutions to your communication challenges.

Risk free: We offer FREE, no obligation design quotation and initial consultation. It never hurts to talk to someone to help clarify your design requirement. Use our Get A Quote form to submit your design project today.

Competitive Pricing: We are a relatively small design shop, with significantly less overhead than bigger design firms. This allows us to pass the savings onto you. We will gladly meet or beat any design bid from a competing design firm.

Technology: We use the latest Windows and Macintosh software packages, compatible with any software you or your output company may require.

Once we have completed the design process, and you have paid in full for your final logo design, the copyrights of that final individual logo are then transferred to you and you own them. We own the rights to any creative concepts not chosen.

Generally, businesses, including corporations, protect their trade names by registering their trade name as a service mark or trademark if the trade name also functions as a service mark or trademark. Depending on your country/state of origin, different laws govern the protection of your business name. Because of the legal complexities involved, we recommend that businesses obtain private counsel to get advice on how to protect a trade name in interstate commerce.

Yes, Rami Maki is a full service freelance design firm capable of not only creating your logo and branding but using that branding in everything from Web sites to your business collateral.

You will receive many different files of your finished logo design, in a variety of colours, sizes and file formats, which can be used in everything from print projects to Web sites. If you prefer or require a different type of file format, just let us know and we will be happy to supply it.

Final logo files can be delivered by a variety of means. Files can be emailed to you, or posted on our secure Web site for you to download, or can be sent to you on CD.

No problem! Changes happen. We are happy to incorporate your comments and revisions whether they happen at the beginning or middle of your project. If these changes affect the final price for your project, a change order will be sent to you for your approval prior to any changes being made.

Rami Maki offers flexible payment options. Through PayPal.com we securely accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard). We also accept checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks. Please view our Payment Methods page for more details on your different payment options.

Design versions can be thought of as different design directions or different creative directions. For instance a restaurant may be presented with logo versions which use images of food, another of a chef, and another of a fork. These are three different logo versions or concepts for one company.

Once you have narrowed down your choice to one or two concepts from the many presented, we then refine or alter your choice. These are design revisions and involve changes to colour, font, and proportions of the logo, but typically don’t involve changing the concept of the logo itself. From the example above, you may have chosen a design with a fork. The revisions may involve different sizes of fork images in the logo, different orientations etc. but all based on the fork design version.

Depending on your schedule and when you require your final files, we are happy altering the intermediate designs until we arrive at a finished logo you are completely happy with and are proud to use for years to come.

Depending on the type of logo being created, we may use an illustration element. These can range from simple icons to more complex colour illustrations. Keep in mind that the more colours employed in a logo, the more expensive it could cost to print (in business cards, letterhead, etc.).

Wordmark logos: Wordmarks are the most widely used logo type, and are typically comprised of text and a typeface. The text or company name is usually written and given a unique typographic treatment (Microsoft, Yahoo, and The Home Depot).

Brand marks / Icon marks: A strong yet simple graphic symbol that represents the company. This can be realistic or more abstract (Nike swoosh, Apple Computer).

Combination marks: A combination of an iconic symbol along with a wordmark. This is a flexible means of conveying the company name and introducing an element to act as a symbol for the company. The elements can be used separately or together.

There are typically two different types of logo design companies on the Internet offering ‘package deals’:

One sells pre-made logos. They design a group of logos related to a field of business. Typically these logos are iconic in nature or use a special font. You pick the logo/icon, they change the font to match your business name. Done. These are the cheapest deals that you will typically find. With the cheap deal comes some disadvantages, including the fact that the logos may have been sold to many different clients so you may not be the only company using this logo; so registering the logo may prove problematic.

The second type of company does ‘custom work’. These logos are designed from scratch and are designed to fit your company. We belong to this group. Some of these custom logo design companies pre-package their logo designs in packages which offer different:

• initial concepts/variations
• turnaround time
• number of revisions or changes
• number and variety of final file formats
• number of designers working on your logo

At Rami Maki we prefer to offer tailored designs based specifically on your needs not a pre-packaged design deal.

We feel that we should offer you the widest variety of samples/concepts/variations to explore different possibilities. Many package deals limit the number of concepts you will receive.

We feel that the delivery time should match your schedule. Many companies offer complete logo projects within 24 hours. We question how effective the final product will be with such a rushed schedule. Within your schedule, we allot time for adequate collection of information, market research, design concepts and revisions.

We believe in providing a full library of final files, in a variety of formats (gif, jpg, etc.), in a variety of colour variations and sizes for any future use you may have. Some companies limit the number and types of final files you receive.

Some companies have a limited number of designers to work on your designs. We will assign the appropriate number of designers to work on your project depending on your specific requirements. All our work is original and we do not use or resell pre-made logo designs.

So when it comes down to it, you can certainly opt for a package deal from a logo design firm, but be sure to compare the various factors above and see which package offers the most bang for your design buck.

The second type of company does ‘custom work’. These logos are designed from scratch and are designed to fit your company. We belong to this group. Some of these custom logo design companies pre-package their logo designs in packages which offer different:

• initial concepts/variations
• turnaround time
• number of revisions or changes
• number and variety of final file formats
• number of designers working on your logo

At Rami Maki we prefer to offer tailored designs based specifically on your needs not a pre-packaged design deal.

We feel that we should offer you the widest variety of samples/concepts/variations to explore different possibilities. Many package deals limit the number of concepts you will receive.

We feel that the delivery time should match your schedule. Many companies offer complete logo projects within 24 hours. We question how effective the final product will be with such a rushed schedule. Within your schedule, we allot time for adequate collection of information, market research, design concepts and revisions.

We believe in ‘unlimited’ revisions until you are happy and not handcuffing you to a specific number of changes. Many companies allow for a limited number of revisions or charging more for additional rounds of revisions.

We believe in providing a full library of final files, in a variety of formats (gif, jpg, etc.), in a variety of colour variations and sizes for any future use you may have. Some companies limit the number and types of final files you receive.

Some companies have a limited number of designers to work on your designs. We will assign the appropriate number of designers to work on your project depending on your specific requirements. All our work is original and we do not use or resell pre-made logo designs.

So when it comes down to it, you can certainly opt for a package deal from a logo design firm, but be sure to compare the various factors above and see which package offers the most bang for your design buck.

It is a natural concern of every client to know their financial commitment before embarking on a project. We wish there was a simple answer to this, however design services are not so easily quantifiable, as requirement varies for each and every project. As part of our quotation process we will consult with you to define your requirements, scope and specifications of your project, and work with you to create a package that fits your needs and budget. We will then present an itemised quotation for consideration and agreement before embarking on any work.

As previously stated many modern printers can print jobs from a digital file, so sending an electronic version of your logo is typically all you will need. Camera ready artwork is only needed if you are planning to print your stationery in spot (Pantone) colours, and your print shop is using an old technology.

Vector files are files created in vector graphics software programs such as Abobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand or CorelDraw. Vector files are files that you can resize, scale, and even change colours or fonts without loosing any quality or resolution on your image. This is in comparison to a bitmap format (see below). Vector files are mostly used by professional designers or print shops where the highest reproduction quality is needed for your logo. Common vector file formats include EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), AI (Adobe Illustrator) and CDR (CorelDraw).

Yes, standard with every logo design, we provide you with a full set of scalable vector files.

Yes. Typically we create logos in a variety of colour options. If your logo uses less than 4 colours, they will be provided in versions made up of Pantone colours. Each colour will be specified by a specific Pantone colour value. This is the most cost efficient way of printing a logo which has less than 4 colours.

Pantone / Pantone Matching System or PMS colours are a colour matching system. A ‘Pantone’ colour is one where the mixture of basic colours is based on a specific formula. Therefore the specification of one of the 1000+ Pantone colours will lead to consistency of colour from more than one printer/supplier. Clients normally specify Pantone colours by the number allocated to each one (e.g. PMS 032 Red).

Bitmap or raster files are most commonly used on the Web, and can be used in every type of program from desktop publishing applications to word processing applications and page or Web layout programs. Bitmap/raster files are made up of a fixed number of bits (or pixels) and have a specific resolution at a specific size. If the image is resized/enlarged, the image may show a distortion. As such, bitmap files are typically used in lower resolution print uses or on the Web. Common bitmap file formats include GIF, JPEG, TIFF and BMP.

Scaleable vector logo files can be opened, changed and edited by you using software programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand or CorelDraw.

There is a difference between how your monitor displays colours on screen, and how your personal printer prints and how a printer’s press prints. We match your logos RGB colours with Pantone colours for your printed stationery. Pantone colours may appear different on screen because we match them on the Pantone chart as it will appear when it gets printed. You will also be provided with a version of your logo in RGB colours as well. To simulate how the final colour will accurately look coming off a press you will have to calibrate your printer with the screen.

Your business cards and stationery will be created in a vector format, so using any vector editing application such as Adobe Illustrator, or CorelDraw you will be able to open, change and edit your files.

Bitmap files can be used in almost all common software applications, and can be edited using applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel PHOTO-PAINT, or JASC Paint Shop Pro.

Yes, we can design your full logo branding and complete stationery package. Use our online Quote form or Contact Us for a quotation today.

After completing our Request for Quotation form, the information is sent to us.
Within 24 hours or less, we will either be in touch to clarify your requirements and/or
send you a written quotation for your design project.
Feel free to ask questions, clarify points, or make additional requests.
Should you accept the quotation, you will notify us and we will begin your design process.

We are flexible and can send you your intermediate design concepts in a number of ways:
– via email as attached files (jpg, PDF)
– posted to our Web site and we will provide you with a URL to log in to see your design
– printed and sent via traditional post

Depending on the type of project or design requirements, you should see initial design concepts anywhere from 24 hours to 5 business days after the start of the design process.

Depending on your schedule and when you require your final files, we are happy altering the intermediate designs until we arrive at a finished design you are completely happy with and are proud to use for years to come.

Depending on the type of project or design requirements, a typical project can take a little as 24 hours or extend for weeks or longer for complete Web site designs.

Once you have signed off a final design, we prepare the final files for delivery to you. Again depending on the project type, this can be as quick as 1 hour to a more typical 24-48 hours.

Any source materials are welcome. We can accept Windows or Macintosh formatted files in all popular software formats. Please contact us to clarify specific file requirements.

Once your design is completed, we can deliver your final file:
– via email as an attachment
– upload to our secure Web site for you to download
– upload to your Web site via ftp
– save files onto a CD and deliver via regular post or courier

For a period of 6 months following your project, we keep your design in an active archive should you lose or damage your files, or require follow-up work. After this period, we archive your files. Any retrieval at this point may incur a nominal cost.